Federal workers right here in the Wabash Valley are reacting to the news out of Washington, D.C. that an agreement has been reached to avoid another government shutdown.

Posted: Feb 15, 2019 8:40 AM

Posted By: Heather Good

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Federal workers right here in the Wabash Valley are reacting to the news out of Washington, D.C. that an agreement has been reached to avoid another government shutdown.

Some area federal employees are in D.C. and have been working there all week to get lawmakers to make a deal.

Over the past several weeks, News 10 has shared stories from workers at the Terre Haute Federal Prison Complex. Roughly seven hundred people work there and employees had to go without pay during the last shutdown.

Steve Markle is one of those federal officers. He is also the treasurer for AFGE Local 720 and the regional legislative coordinator representing prison unions.

Markle has been in Washington, D.C. this week to share his experience with lawmakers and urge them to work together so 800,000 federal workers across the country do not have to go without pay, again.

Markle says he met with twenty-eight lawmakers including Representatives Rodney Davis and Larry Bucshon. Markle says he stressed how the last shutdown impacted Wabash Valley families and the need for a deal.

"I think it's important for the members of congress to work together. It's not up to us to say what is fair or what is not fair. The important part for us is funding the federal government and making it where federal law enforcement officers can go to work safely every single day and not have to worry about whether or not they're going to get paid or when they're going to get paid."

With the government funded, Markle says he, and others like him, can move on to "more normal business" like pushing for additional funds to maintain the prison complex and to hire more people.